- Six newcomers are earning playing time for the Miners, including starting PG Stacie Telles.

- UTEP will play host to the C-USA Championships (March 11-15, 2015) for the second time since joining the league.

GOING BACK IN TIME

- Jenzel Nashscored a season-high 20 points and UTEP forced 25 turnovers but it wasn’t enough to offset a challenging shooting night in a 74-58 loss at SEC power Texas A&M on Jan. 2.

- UTEP trailed by 25 with 8:23 to play before a 16-4 run in four minutes cut the deficit to 13.

- Texas A&M had only four free throws & six points total in the final 6:24 but held on due to its defense.

- UTEP was held to a season-low 32.8 percent (21-of-64) & was 0-of-12 on three pointers. It marked the first time since 2005-06 that the Miners didn’t connect from distance in a game.

- Another factor was rebounding, which was in favor of Texas A&M (45-32). UTEP had more offensive rebounds (12) than the Aggies (11), with the margin being more of an indication of the shooting percentage than anything else.

GETTING TO KNOW UAB

- UAB is 8-5, including 5-1 at home.

- 0-2 start but won eight of next 10 games.

- Surge came to close after its first home loss on the year, 87-76, against Vanderbilt on Dec. 30.

- Aided UTEP to a mark of 62-16, including back-to-back 20+ win seasons.

- Four rebounds shy of becoming the 16th Miner to reach 500.

- Is 10th for career rebounding average (6.8).

- Is also a member of the 500-point club (546)

- With 14 more field goals made, will qualify for career FG % list. Her current readout of 48.4 would tie for fourth.

- One assist shy of becoming the 12th Miner to hit 200.

CLIFFSNOTES ON 2013-14 CAMPAIGN

at UTEP 87, Texas Southern 61 (12/29/13)

- Kayla Thorntonpoured in 23 points and UTEP used a huge second half to topple upset-minded Texas Southern, 87-61, at the Don Haskins Center on Dec. 29.

- The Miners led by five (34-29) at the break before unleashing a lethal full-court press that befuddled the Lady Tigers. The visitors committed 18 of their 26 turnovers in the second half, which led to 26 of UTEP’s 53 points in the stanza.

- UTEP shared the ball well with 16 assists on 29 field goals while making 43.9 percent (29-of-66) from the floor. It also took care of business at the free-throw line (26-of-38, 68.4 percent).

UTEP 88, Belmont 74 (12/21/13)

- Kayla Thornton turned in a virtuoso performance by setting career highs in points (36), rebounds (16) and blocked shots (four) to guide UTEP past Belmont, 88-74, inside Guillermo Angulo Coliseum in its final game of the Puerto Rico Classic on Dec. 21.

- Thornton’s 36 points are the most by a Miner since 1991 and the third-highest total in school history. Holly Russ (40 vs. UTSA, 2/19/91 and 37 vs. Baylor, 12/17/91) holds the top-two slots in program annals.

- She had 23 pts & nine rbs at the break, to help UTEP lead 49-26 heading into halftime.

- Belmont made things interesting by cutting that margin down to seven (74-67) with 2:50 to play but the Orange and Blue kept their composure.

- The Miners went 9-of-10 at the free-throw line in the final 1:22 to seal the win.

Georgia Tech 102, UTEP 77 (12/20/13)

- UTEP put up a good fight but ACC power Georgia Tech had simply too much firepower, as the Miners sustained their first loss of the year, 102-77, inside Guillermo Angulo Coliseum at the Puerto Rico Classic Dec. 20.

- The duo teamed up for 33 in the first half, which helped Tech stake a 54-38 lead at the break.

- UTEP regrouped and played even (33-33) with Tech over the first 16 minutes of the second stanza. The Jackets, who used a full-court press the entire game, used a 15-6 push to account for the 25-point margin.

- Kayla Thorntonposted her fifth double-double this season (16 points, 10 rebounds) to lead a quartet of players in double figures, and UTEP remained undefeated with a 87-65 conquest of Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 15.

- Led by two (14-12) six minutes in before kicking it into high gear with a 24-3 run to blow the game wide open.

- Connected on 48.7 (37-of-76) shots from the floor, and shared the ball well with 19 assists.

- 32-7 cushion in points from the bench.

- Also enjoyed advantages in points in the paint (56-32), points off turnovers (30-21), fast-break points (19-4) and points off turnovers (30-21).

at UTEP 76, SMU 71 (12/7/13)

- Kayla Thornton (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Chrishauna Parker (12 points, 15 rebounds) recorded double-doubles while Jenzel Nashprovided a spark off the bench with 19 points to help lead UTEP past long-time rival SMU, 76-71, at home on Dec. 7.

- The Mustangs, who were 8-1 entering the game, jumped out to a double-digit lead (14-4) six minutes into the contest.

- UTEP used a 31-14 run to carry a 35-28 cushion into halftime & extended it out to 47-2 with 15:29 to play.

- SMU wasn’t done, though, especially not with Keena Mays at its disposal. Mays, who finished with a game-high 34 points, refused to let her squad go down without a fight. It whittled the deficit down to two (56-54) with 7:28 to play, but UTEP would not relinquish the advantage.

- Free throws (25-of-37) and winning the rebounding battle (47-45) proved vital, as did committing only 15 turnovers against a well-executed press by the visitors.

- UTEP out-scored UNC in points in the paint (42-16) & on fast-break tries (15-2) to more than compensate for losing the rebounding battle 46-31.

at UTEP 92, Northern Arizona 43 (11/22/13)

- UTEP jumped out to a 25-point (45-20) halftime lead and didn’t let up on the way to recording its largest margin of victory (49) ever against a Division 1 team in a 92-43 thrashing of Northern Arizona at home on Nov. 26.

- UTEP harassed the Lumberjacks into making 29 turnovers while also holding them to 32.0 percent shooting from the floor.

- The 29 giveaways led to 31 points for the Orange and Blue.

- UTEP registered 20 assists & hit 50% from field.

- Transfer Anete Kirsteine came off the bench to tally a career high 15 points- all on triples- to lead a quartet of Miners in double figures for scoring.

- Overall 11 different players scored in the game, showing off the Orange and Blue’s depth in the process.

- UTEP drained the seventh-most three pointers (11) in a contest in program annals.

at UTEP 84, Kansas State 39 (11/16/13)

- UTEP forced 34 turnovers and held Big 12 member Kansas State to 26.3 percent shooting from the floor in a 84-39 shellacking at the Don Haskins Center on Nov. 16.

- The 45-point differential is the third-biggest (second at the time) margin of victory against a Division 1 opponent in school history, which was aided by the program’s biggest halftime lead (46-13) vs. a DI foe.

- Five different Miners reached double figures in scoring, with senior Kayla Thorntonleading the way with her school-record 23rd career double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds). The prior standard was 22, held by Amy Pack (1999-01).

- The Miners led the Falcons picked second in the Heartland Conference, 43-23, at the half.

- Eleven different Miners scored in the game. Senior Kayla Thornton had nine points & nine rebounds & freshman Sparkle Taylor pitched in eight off the bench, aided by six makes on 12 tries at the charity stripe.

- Senior Kristine Vitola chipped in six points and grabbed seven boards in an efficient 18 minutes of action in her return to the court after missing most of last year with a torn ACL. Sophomore Jenzel Nash, who redshirted last year as well due to a torn ACL, pitched in four points and four boards while battling foul trouble.

at UTEP 81, St. Mary’s (TX) 51 (11/2/13)- EXH

- Kayla Thornton poured in 22 points to lead a quartet of Miners in double figures, and UTEP throttled St. Mary’s, 81-51, in the exhibition game.

- The Miners led 40-17 at half & were up by 30+ points for the final 13 minutes of the contest.

UTEP Rallies Late To Defeat No. 4 Seed UAB In C-USA Women's Basketball Quarterfinals, 61-59
The cliché in sports is that it's not over until the fat lady sings. While the song never escaped the proverbial vocalist's lips, she definitely took a few deep breaths in anticipation before fifth-seeded UTEP rallied late for a 61-59 win over No. 4 seed UAB in the 2013 Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon at the Tulsa Convention Center.